Cedarville, Ohio-What do literature and religion have in common? Participants at the October 12-13 Conference on Christianity and Literature (CCL) Mideast Regional Conference will explore the answer to that question at Cedarville University.

The seminar focuses on the theme “Incarnation in the Classroom: Mentoring the Next Generation of Scholars, Teachers, and Writers.” Multiple sessions will be held throughout the conference, led by writers representing various regional colleges and universities. Discussion topics include Christian creative writing, the role of the Christian faith in secular composition, and the use of popular culture to advance literature.

Dr. Donald Deardorff, associate professor of English at Cedarville and conference coordinator, is excited about the effect this event will have on Christian educators. “It gives Christian English teachers from around the region a chance to share ideas about how to bring our faith to the various aspects of our discipline,” he explained. “Who better to learn from than colleagues who have been trying to infuse their faith into their pedagogical and creative practices for years?”

The featured speaker is Dr. Jeanne Murray Walker, playwright and author of six books of poetry. A professor of English at the University of Delaware, Walker has received both the Reader’s Choice Award (2003) and the Prairie Schooner-Strousse Prize (1998), among other honors. Former poetry editor of the journal Christianity and Literature, she presently serves on the editorial board of Shenandoah and is writing her seventh play, Called to Sing.

Conference registration is $85 per person, which includes all fees, materials, and two meals. The deadline for registration is October 5.

The CCL is an interdisciplinary society dedicated to exploring the relationships between Christianity and literature. Officially founded in 1956, the organization includes hundreds of members from a variety of academic and religious institutions in more than a dozen countries.